Jacky Lafon

Jacky Lafon

Lafon in 2011
Born (1946-11-21) 21 November 1946
Dendermonde, Belgium
Occupation Actor
Website Official website

Jacky Lafon (born 21 November 1946) is an actress best known for playing one of the lead fictional characters (Rita Van Den Bossche) in the television series Familie[1] that aired its first episode on the Flemish television channel VTM (in the Dutch language) on 30 December 1991[2] and remains one of the longest running soap operas in the world[3] airing it’s 1,000th episode in 1996[4] and is currently (2016) in its 25th year of production.

Early life and career

Lafon was born on 21 November 1946 in Dendermonde, Flanders, Belgium. At the age of eight, she began her acting career with her first appearance in her school's play of Sleeping Beauty.

At nineteen, she went on tour abroad with the Analog Roland Orchestra[5] from Bruges. Yvonne Verbeeck and Gaston Berghmans offered her a platform in the variety theatre Ancienne Belgique in Antwerp, after which she was offered a contract by the then artistic director.

With television producer Yvonne Verhelst, Lafon had a role in the musical My Conscience And I, along with Chris Lomme and Rik Andries that was directed by Jef Cassiers. Afterwards she played roles in the musicals Wonderdoktoor and Good Luck Professor.

In 1991, Lafon was cast to play the part of Rita Van Den Bossche[6][7] in what would become Belgium's longest-running television soap opera Familie.

During a 2006 taping of this show, Lafon was seriously injured when the character she was playing, Rita, relapsed into alcoholism and Lafon was accidentally given an electroshock treatment from a machine that was mistakenly turned on causing burns to Lafon’s chest and bruising her ribs.[8]

In April 2014, Lafon reported that she was suffering from panic attacks, shortness of breath and that her hair was falling out,[9] and on 24 June announced that after 23 years she was leaving the show and stated I can not take it anymore.[10]

Everyone was shocked when Lafon announced she was leaving the cast of Familie with head writer Hugo Van Laere telling everyone Rita does not die and will not be replaced there is only one which Rita can play and that's Jacky.[11]

In late 2015, Lafon made her first return to television since leaving Familie the prior year by appearing[12] on the popular tongue-in-cheek quiz show De Slimste Mens Ter Wereld[13] (The Smartest Person in the World), after which she publicly complained [14] that she had made less while performing her role as Rita on Familie then her daughter Nathalie who worked as an entertainer at the Bobbejaanland[15] theme park, and by December said she wished to return to her role as Rita and stating I miss it every day.[16]

The producers of Familie, in response to Lafon’s desire to return to her role as Rita, said that she would not return in 2015, but could possibly be a guest during the 2016 season.[17]

Throughout her long acting career, Lafon was, also, a regular guest on the popular radio program hosted by Jan Theys who was one of Belgium's most beloved media personalities.

Private life

From 1989 to 1995, Lafon was married to Belgian musician Ernest Adriaensen of the musical group The Strangers. She is active in many civic activities and charity projects such as aiding cancer patients, disadvantaged children and victims of various diseases. She lives in an up-scale apartment in Blankenberge.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Familie". VTM.
  2. ↑ "Familie". TV Maze.
  3. ↑ Toseland, Martin (2014). Infographica: The World as You Have Never Seen it Before. Google Books: Quercus. p. 79. ISBN 9781623650056.
  4. ↑ "Malta again features in Belgian soap opera". Times of Malta (Timesofmalta.com). 19 July 2002. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "The Analog Roland Orchestra". Resident Advisor.
  6. ↑ "Rita Van Den Bossche". Het Belang van Limburg.
  7. ↑ "Rita gaat helemaal door het lint bij Marie-Rose". YouTube.
  8. ↑ Tollenaere, Rudy (6 February 2006). "Jacky Lafon krijgt échte elektroshocks tijdens opnames Familie". Het Nieuwsblad (Nieuwsblad.be). Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  9. ↑ Allemaal, Dag (1 April 2014). "Jacky Lafon volgt therapie na paniekaanvallen". Het Laatste Nieuws (Hln.be). Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  10. ↑ Mgeysmans, Door (24 June 2014). "Jacky Lafon verlaat voorgoed Familie: "Ik kan het niet meer aan"". Het Belang van Limburg (Hbvl.be). Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  11. ↑ Allemaal, Dag (1 July 2014). "Jacky Lafon: "Jullie zijn nog niet van zatte Rita af"". Het Laatste Nieuws (Hln.be). Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Zatte Rita is back!". Het Laatste Nieuws (Hln.be). 14 October 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "De Slimste Mens Ter Wereld". VIER.
  14. ↑ "Jacky Lafon: "Ik verdien minder bij 'Familie' dan dochter in Bobbejaanland"". Het Laatste Nieuws (Hln.be). 11 September 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Bobbejaanland". Bobbejaanland.be.
  16. ↑ "Jacky Lafon hoopt op terugkeer naar 'Familie'". Het Laatste Nieuws (hHln.be). 28 December 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "Jacky Lafon (zatte Rita) wil terug naar Familie". Het Laatste Nieuws (Hln.be). 27 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  18. ↑ "Jacky Lafon: "Ik heb jongere aanbidders"". Het Nieuwsblad (Nieuwsblad.be). 26 January 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.

External links

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